BURNABY
– The BC Coroners Service is investigating the discovery of a foot found this
weekend washed up on the shore of Sasamat Lake in Port Moody. An autopsy held
this morning confirmed that the bones of the foot, found encased in a sock in a
hiking boot, are human in origin.

The
boot was first noticed by a youth attending a camp at the Sasamat Outdoor
Centre on the morning of Friday, Nov. 4. At that time, the boot was floating
some metres off shore. The next morning the youth and others from the camp
noticed the boot had washed up on the northwest shore of the lake. When it was
retrieved, they found a sock with the remains of a foot within it. They
immediately notified the authorities.

The
boot is a black Cougar-brand hiking boot, men’s size 12. It has a blue interior
felt lining, and the metal eyelets were significantly rusted, suggesting it
could have been in the water for some time.

The
foot is the ninth found in southwestern BC in the past four years. However,
there are some significant differences between this and the other eight cases,
noted coroner Steve Fonseca, manager of the Identification and Disaster
Response Unit for the BC Coroners Service. It is the first to be found in fresh
rather than saltwater. It is also the first to be found in a hiking boot,
rather than in a running shoe. The BC Coroners Service has to date been able to
make positive identifications on six of the feet found previously.

The
BC Coroners Service is working closely with the Port Moody Police Department,
the BC Police Missing Persons Unit, E-Peregal Task Force and RCMP Behavioural
Sciences Group RapidID program in efforts to determine the identity of this
most recent foot. DNA testing will be undertaken, along with comparison of the
foot with data banks of missing persons.

The
autopsy did not show any toolmarks or impressions on the bones or any evidence
to suggest the foot had been mechanically separated from the body. Like the
others, it appears to have disarticulated naturally as a result of having spent
a period of time in the water.